Manali Memes are all over the internet. You see hordes of people on the busy streets of Manali.
For the uninitiated, Manali is an famous hill station in North India. Currently it is in news because hordes of people are visiting the place after the lift of second lockdown. These tourists don’t really follow Covid protocols and put their lives at risk. This is a sign that an 3rd Covid wave in India is imminent. The second wave has proven fatal to millions.
Given the above scenario, the rational mind questions such behavior of people . Why are people even risking their lives?
If you reflect, this could be a direct consequence of the normalization of death.
Let me explain.
Death has been normalized in religious scriptures.
Mythology says you live and then you die.
However, acceptance of loss has never been easy.
Death is a rarity, you only die once.
Death is a rarity because in your lifetime you could only closely witness a few deaths.
You mourn and revive. You accept and move on. It is an organic process.
Death in that case is an event. Obviously a sad one.
Now let us have a look at the havoc unleashed by the pandemic.
The pandemic has claimed millions.
During this period, death was seen through the “mechanized lens”.
The sad event was reduced to mere operations.
Haste, quick, mechanized.
Book beds, allocate breathing devices, manage supply chain, optimize beds.
Prioritize the sick, decide who doesn’t need the bed and who does.
Manage logistics for the deceased. Waiting lists and resource allocation.
Bottle-necks and workstations (pyres)
Does this ring a bell?
The scene was no different from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
If death is normalized then we might not really appreciate the longevity of life but the “shortness” of it.
A trip to Manali in that case is just a bet on life, now that it has lost some of its value.
It is okay to live grand and short life taking all the risks because it is okay to die as well. 🙂
The aftermath of the pandemic has significantly reduced the fear of death?
Do let me know in the comments.
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